Inhabitots | Your guide to green parenting, eco baby & green kids

Fourth-Grader’s Undercover Documentary Film Exposes New York’s Gross School Lunches

by Taz Loomans, 05/22/13 filed under: education, food

Eleven-year-old Zachary Maxwell, a fourth grade student at P.S. 130 Hernando De Soto in Manhattan’s Little Italy, asked his parents if he could start taking a packed lunch to school — but they didn’t see why he should. School lunches were free, and they sounded fantastic according to the New York City Department of Education website. But Zachary’s parents didn’t know that what was really being served at his school wasn’t at all what was being advertised on the website. So Zachary snuck a camera into his school and filmed what he was being served for lunch for six months, compiling insider footage on the NYC school lunch program.

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EWG Releases 2013 Sunscreen Guide + Ranks Top & Worst Rated Sunscreens

by Jennifer Chait, 05/22/13 filed under: green family, green kids, health & body

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Just in time for the Memorial Day holiday, Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released their 7th annual Sunscreen Guide. Like previous year’s guides, this guide rates the safety and efficacy of more than 1,400 sunscreens, lotions, lip products and makeups that claim to offer sun protection. Each year EWG rates the various sun protection products on various factors, including:

Health hazards – which includes an ingredient assessment.
Efficacy – which figures in UVB protection, UVA protection, balance of UVA/UVB protection and sunscreen stability.
Safety – which is based on the ingredient health hazard scoring system of EWG’s Skin Deep database.

The overall rating for each sun protection product is calculated using an EWG formula that reflects a combination of the above factors. The good news: this year, 184 beach & sport sunscreens met EWG’s criteria for safety and efficiency. The bad news: those 184 products represent just one quarter of all sunscreens reviewed in 2013, meaning many sunscreen products on the market offer poor skin protection and contain harmful ingredients with potentially serious safety concerns. Keep reading to see key facts about this year’s sunscreen guide as well as the top rated and worst rated sunscreen choices of 2013.

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Spit Cleaning Your Baby’s Pacifier May Lessen His Risk of Developing Eczema & Asthma

by Sherrell Dorsey, 05/22/13 filed under: baby gadgets, gear for parents, health & body, news

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

Every parent has watched in slow motion horror as their baby’s beloved pacifier has fallen on public ground while out and about. And many parents have probably also used their own spit to suck the pacifier clean, when washing it off properly wasn’t an option. Turns out, this gesture may actually be beneficial to your baby. According to a new study published in Pediatrics and conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, sharing oral bacteria with your bambino may help keep your child from developing allergies including eczema and asthma.

Swapping spit with your kids is often debated across media platforms, scientists and parents. When Alicia Silverstone’s video of pre-chewing her baby’s food went viral, many people expressed both their support and their disapproval in regards to her methods. Though not completely conclusive, the study does draw on the positive relationship between parent-to-child microbial interaction and its promotion of the development of a child’s healthy immune system through established natural diversity of bacteria.

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3D Handcrafted Vintage Comic Letters Add Some Kapow! To Your Kid’s Room

by Beth Shea, 05/21/13 filed under: eco decor, eco toddler, green baby, green kids

Comic books of yore have given way to video games and iPads, but you can still give your little Superman or Wonder Woman an appreciation for the entertainment of your ancient history via a 3D handcrafted comic letter in his or her initial. Each limited-edition, one-of-a-kind letter is made to order from original vintage Beano, Superman, Batman or Bunty comic pages, and bonded to 100% recycled cardstock. You may request a certain comic be used to fashion your letter. Just don’t be surprised when your kid reads between the lines and says, “Holy Moly! This was what you did for fun?”

+ 3D Letter From Vintage Comics $57.45

+ Not on the High Street

High-Tech Baby Monitor Records Baby’s Vital Signs, Alerts Caregivers of Problems

by Sherrell Dorsey, 05/21/13 filed under: baby gadgets, kid gadgets, sleeping

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

What if the same mattress pad you put your baby to sleep on each day and night could tell you (and your doctor) when your little one comes down with a fever or if his breathing becomes irregular? A group of innovative students are only a prize win away from introducing a high-tech baby monitor that records a baby’s heartbeat, breathing and movement to keep parents on alert if their baby needs immediate medical attention. The “Miracle Workers” from Winona State University developed a sensor-filled pad to be placed on top of a baby’s crib mattress. Vitals and data are sent directly to an app on your and your doctor’s Windows smart phone. The students are currently competing for funding to push their product to fruition in the Imagine Cup technology competition hosted by Microsoft. They were unsuccessful in their attempt last year, when their initial motivation behind the high-tech mattress pad was to offer a product to address SIDS. The ambitious bunch hit a brick wall upon discovering the complicated red tape they would face within the FDA regulations and approval processes.

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Study Shows Bed Rest During Pregnancy May Not Decrease Risk of Premature Birth

by Jennifer Chait, 05/21/13 filed under: green family, green maternity, green pregnancy, prenatal

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

A new study published in a recent issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology notes that “therapeutic” bed rest during pregnancy may be over-recommended, and may actually cause harm to both mother-to-be and her baby. According to Obstetrics & Gynecology, as many as 95% of all obstetricians report that they’ve recommended bed rest or restricted activity for their patients, and about 20% of all pregnant women (800,000 a year) are prescribed bed rest. This new study reveals that putting pregnant women on bed rest should no longer be what the doctor orders. Researchers reported that almost 40% of the 646 pregnant women included in the study were ordered to restrict sexual, work and non-work activity. A whopping 37% of the women who followed these instructions had their baby prematurely, compared to 17% of the women who maintained their regular pattern of activity.

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The World’s First LEGO School Set to Open in Denmark!

by Morgana Matus, 05/21/13 filed under: education, green toys

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

The children of Denmark are about to become the envy of every kid on the planet. The International School of Billund will open its doors in August as the world’s very first LEGO school. The institution is the idea of the toy’s owner (and grandson of the founder of LEGO), multi-billionaire Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. Students will learn under standards set by the international baccalaureate (IB) with the Danish school system alongside LEGO’s emphasis on fun and playful engagement.

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Juniorbeads: Cheery Nontoxic Necklaces for Stylish Girls

by Beth Shea, 05/20/13 filed under: green kids

Kids go from the teething stage to the terrible twos phase to becoming tween fashionistas before you know it. With this fast-paced evolution in mind, Chewbeads, the company behind the glorious nontoxic teething jewelry we previously featured for moms and babies, have added Juniorbeads to their colorful collection. These cheery and vibrant necklaces are not only hip, they’re completely safe for dress-up play and everyday wear for little ladies ages 3 and up. Juniorbeads are made from 100% silicone and free of BPA, phthalates, lead, cadmium and metals and countless other chemicals that typically taint fashion jewelry for kids. More features that set Juniorbeads apart: they can be cleaned in the dishwasher, and they have a breakaway clasp for added safety. A strand or two of Juniorbeads would make the perfect gift for a big sister, who can wear her necklace in tandem with mom wearing her Chewbeads. Available in an array of bold colors from cherry red to deep sea blue and punchy pink, to beads that glow in the dark, get your sweet gal some Juniorbeads before you wake up one morning and find she’s gone from tween to teen overnight.